Haas driver breaks silence after unfortunate Rockingham ordeal leaves crucial decisions in ruins
Haas Factory Team driver Sheldon Creed broke the silence after his second consecutive DNF at the Rockingham Speedway. The #00 Ford Mustang driver had a good car the past week; however, before Stage 2 could conclude, Creed's day ended prematurely.
The 27-year-old driver qualified for the event in 17th place, but power steering issues before the Xfinity Series race forced the team to make crucial decisions. The adjustments proved beneficial as Creed surged among the top 10 runners by Lap 50.
A late-stage caution caused by William Sawalich, Katherine Legge, and Kasey Kahne's wreck allowed Haas to install fresh tires on Creed's #00 machine and refuel the ride. The strategy paid off massively, with the Californian jumping to sixth with 25 laps into the second stage.
However, the catastrophe happened on Lap 109. Justin Bonsignore lost control of his car entering turn four, collecting the #00 Haas Factory Team Ford in the mess. It marked Sheldon Creed's second consecutive DNF. His first premature end transpired at the Bristol Motor Speedway after Dean Thompson's bump and the following collision with Brennan Poole.
As a result, Creed finished 35th. He reflected post-race on his unfortunate NASCAR run and opened up about receiving help from his crew.
"I had a decent car all weekend long, and our team made some big adjustments throughout the race to help me. We just needed a little more time to keep working at it, but just unfortunate for our team the way it’s ended now two weeks in a row," Creed said via Speedway Digest.
The Rockingham turmoil dropped Creed two spots in the Xfinity Series standings; he's now ranked tenth.
Sheldon Creed's Haas teammate, Sam Mayer, also suffered from a DNF in Rockingham
Like Sheldon Creed, Sam Mayer also had a steering issue in his #41 Ford Mustang, but braved the odds to battle among the frontrunners. While Creed's race ended on Lap 109, Mayer continued his run and maintained his track position in the final stage.
Despite a flurry of cautions shaking the order, the #41 driver stood inside the top 10. Moreover, over the final 20 laps, three restarts helped Mayer lunge from eighth to third, and the Haas driver became poised for his maiden win this season.
Nonetheless, the disaster occurred on the final restart. With four laps left, Mayer's ride sputtered due to low fuel. As a result, the pack charging from behind slammed the #41 Ford's rear, resulting in a multi-car pileup, and destroying the race that could've ended with a playoff ticket in Mayer's hand.
Notably, despite the 27th-place finish, Mayer's Xfinity Series standing is undisturbed. Ranked second, the Haas Factory Team driver boasts five top-5s and six top-10s.